Willingness of Australian minister of foreign affairs to speed up immigration processes a charge against SA government 

14 March 2018

AfriForum reacted to commentary this morning by Peter Dutton, the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, that South African farmers’ applications to immigrate to Australia will possibly enjoy priority attention, by saying that this is a serious charge against the South African government.

According to Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO of AfriForum responsible for international liaison, the Australian Minister clearly takes in a serious light issues such as the high occurrence of farm attacks, crime statistics and the government’s steps to make expropriation without compensation possible, while the South African government simply ignores or shrugs these off as unfounded fears.

“Further he also seemingly admits that the concern of white South Africans is just as valid as that of any other citizen, while the South African authorities are only too glad to hold the community as scapegoats for problems in the country and treat them as second class citizens,” says Bailey.

Bailey is of the opinion that the attitude of the minister, as representative of a successful international democracy, should be food for thought for the government. “It must serve as a warning that South Africa runs the risk to lose even more productive, loyal citizens should their concerns about issues such as property rights not be listened to in earnest and actions not be launched to address problems such as crime in the country.”

AfriForum’s point of view remains that solutions for the problems that Afrikaners and other minorities experience in South Africa must be found and that a future must be created at the southernmost tip of Africa wherein Afrikaners and other minorities can continually exist as free, safe and prosperous. The organisation further welcomes any international pressure that puts the challenges that minorities face in the spotlight and helps to convince government to prioritise these.

Issued by Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO, AfriForum, 14 March 2018